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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24623584">Legends of the Titan</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JolyneJiyuu/pseuds/JolyneJiyuu'>JolyneJiyuu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan, Etrian Odyssey Series</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coming of Age, Gen, oh boy what am i getting myself into</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:48:28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24623584</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JolyneJiyuu/pseuds/JolyneJiyuu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Claire and Armin set out on a big adventure. To seek out Yggdrasil and discover its secrets is their cause. And to that cause, they set out the city of Tharsis in hopes of making a name for themselves. What will the siblings experience? What friends and foes will they make?</p><p>A fantastic adventure awaits.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Stormy Night</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>CRASH!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The thunder was roaring loud and unrelenting. The rain fell mercilessly in thick droplets.</p><p>The smell of melting metal and burning wood mixed with the sickening stench of charred bodies.</p><p>A gruesome sight.</p><p>Out of the monstrous machine stumbled a small figure. Dazed. With no clear path forward.</p><p>Head aching, blood dripping from the side that was pierced by a loose pipe when they all crashed.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Where am I? </em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>A glance could tell it was the remains of a big house. Or maybe a barn?</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <em>What should I do? Everyone is dead…</em>
</p><p> </p><p>An open field. An unknown land.</p><p>The fire still hot on the figure’s back.</p><p> </p><p><em>I need to get away</em>, was the last thought on their mind before everything went black.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I am finally getting this out of my system! :D Took me long enough...<br/>I hope you enjoyed this first Prologue chapter :)<br/>The real Chapter 1 is coming later today and chapters 2 and 3 over the next few days :D</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Start of a new Adventure</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Armin! Come on! We wanted to set out a long time ago!” called a girl out to her younger brother.</p>
<p>“I'm coming, I'm coming!” he answered laughing.</p>
<p>It was a special day for the siblings. To travel to Tharsis, founding their very own guild and becoming adventurers has been their dream for the longest time. And after many years their parents finally agreed on letting them go.</p>
<p>Impatiently the blond girl tapped her foot while her brother ran down the stairs. But clumsy as he was, he immediately slipped and fell down the steps with a loud rattle. He set up groaning. His sister giggled softly; she knew incidents of that sort. Nevertheless, she helped him collecting his dropped belongings so they could leave. As the two of them walked out of the house, their parents waited outside already to see them off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ohh, my little babies have grown so much,” the mother sobbed, hugging her children as tight as she could.</p>
<p>“You're right, honey. But that means that they are no longer babies. Armin and Claire are grown-ups now and we have to let them go...” her husband replied melancholically. He ruffled his kids’ hair. “I’m going to miss you.”</p>
<p>“We’ll miss you too, father” Claire replied. The parents took a look at their children.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Armin, a delicate young man with wine-red hair, was wearing a blueish gray shirt and long pants in almost the same color as well as a slightly worn tunic that despite its wear shone pure white. It made him look like the medic, he aspired to be. Affixed to the backside of the coat was a dagger for fighting monsters.</p>
<p>His backpack held clothes and his sleeping bag. Additionally, he carried a small pouch with test tubes, Medica and other helpful items.     </p>
<p>Claire had long platinum blond hair and sky-blue eyes, whereby her hair was held together by colorful pearls. As to not hinder her in combat. In contrast to her brother she wore short pants with black leggings that stopped right above her knees. Her clothes were accompanied by a black sleeveless high collared shirt and to a pair of fingerless gloves that reached her elbows.</p>
<p>Additionally, a small wooden shield was fixed to her left arm. The brown boots on Claire’s feet already showed signs of wear and tear, same as the waistbelt on her hips from which her shortsword dangled.</p>
<p>The big backpack she carried held most of the stuff the siblings would need: from change of clothes to waterskins, an oil lamp, a mess kit and more. And on the backpack was her own bedroll.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well then…” Armin hesitated. “Farewell…”</p>
<p>His parents nodded and hugged their kids one last time.</p>
<p>“Be careful out there. And write to us from time to time! …Alright?”</p>
<p>“Of course!” Claire laughed, and the kids turned to go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But they didn’t make it far before their father called out: “Wait! I forgot one last thing!”</p>
<p>He rummaged around his pockets and after a few seconds time produced a little brown sack. You could hear the coins jingle from within. The siblings’ eyes went wide.</p>
<p>“This is for you. Five hundred Ental. We saved up a bit so you two could have a good start into your new life as adventures.”</p>
<p>“But we can’t take this much money, father.”</p>
<p>“You bet you can!” he pressed the sack abruptly into Armin’s hands who just wanted to disagree. “Papp, papp, papp! No objections.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And now go. Or else you won’t arrive in Tharsis before sundown.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And chapter 1 done :D<br/>Let me know how you liked it thus far :)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Tharsis - A Paradise for Explorers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The sun was already sinking in the west when Claire and Armin reached the city walls of Tharsis. The city itself that was also known as a paradise for explorers, adventures and treasure hunters stood tall on a hill in the southwest of the Windy Plains. Part of the buildings was overgrown with ivy while others were even integrated into the stone itself! In the evening sun, the yellow bricks of the hoses set the environment ablaze with golden light. The green rooftops too seemed to take on the color of the sun. </p><p>Most notably of all was the building atop of the hill. It sat enthroned above all the other constructions and seemed to be the most palatial of all.</p><p><em> Probably the seat of the Outland Count or something like that </em>, the girl guessed.</p><p>In front of Tharsis’ gates stood many curious machines that were roped down to the ground - airships as the siblings would later learn.</p><p> </p><p>Despite the already very advanced time of day, there was heavy traffic in front of the entrances to the city. Several carts of traders and also a small family stood in front of the south gate and waited for the soldiers stationed there to let them pass. Claire and her brother joined some of the people who also wanted to get into town. Many were explorers who wanted to reveal the secret of Yggdrasil either alone or in groups called guilds.</p><p> </p><p>Yggdrasil. Many myths and legends were entwined around this tree, which could be seen as far as Tharsis and beyond. Some report that something is sleeping in Yggdrasil, something that leads people to eternal paradise. To find out the truth behind these myths, the Outland Count based here had announced across the country:</p><p>
  <em> “Reach Yggdrasil and uncover the truth! Then you shall be rewarded with untold riches!” </em>
</p><p>That summons has drawn many explorers and adventures to Tharsis. With the influx of people, trade flourished in the former small town and over the years and decades made it what it is today.</p><p>Some well-known explorers or guilds even received a letter from the Count with the invitation to come to the city. Just Silvio, the father of our heroes, and a former treasure hunter. However, he already felt too old for such an adventure, especially since he already had wife and children. After said children had heard of the letter, they asked to be allowed to go in his stead, which they were finally allowed to do shortly after Armin's fifteenth birthday. The siblings had set off with the writing of the counts in their luggage, to which their parents' permission had been added. They just had to show it to the count and he would surely greet them warmly.</p><p> </p><p>"Claire, stop daydreaming! It's our turn! ”The red-haired boy called from ahead. She quickly hurried after him. One of the guards asked why two children would want to go to Tharsis alone. Claire's eye twitched dangerously, she hated being called a child. At the age of seventeen, she considered herself to be an adult. But Armin hurriedly took the invitation with the count’s seal out of his pocket before his sister did something without thinking, and the soldier understood. The rest was quickly resolved. The two were allowed to pass.</p><p> </p><p>"We have to go to the - what was it called again - the Grand Court or something, don't we? Where's it actually? ”The blonde wondered.</p><p>Armin blinked in confusion. "Didn't you pay attention earlier? The others had told us... Were you too busy daydreaming, huh? ", He smiled slyly, whereupon his sister only folded her arms and pouted. Laughing softly, he pointed to the large building in the higher part of the city, which she had noticed earlier. With a barely audible "Just say that" from Claire, they made their way there. The sun was almost gone from the sky.</p><p>When they reached the top of the hill the town square of Tharsis lay. It was right in front of Mark Gand Court. They looked around in astonishment; the place was huge! The swordswoman only found it strange that she didn't notice the large open space earlier, especially since it was quite central. Everywhere, people were romping around to get some of the goods from the traders before they closed for the day; some were already dismantling their stands. The square itself, Claire noted, was paved with light cobblestones, although darker stones had also been used. Apparently, they formed a pattern, which, however, could not be fully recognized through the people and market stands. At the edge of this lively place stood a good twenty lampposts and another, larger one right in the middle to illuminate it at night. Little by little, they were ignited by some women using a strange device.</p><p>The siblings had to force themselves to go on.</p><p>Finally, they arrived at their destination at the other end of the square and were amazed; the Grand Court was more beautiful up close than from afar. The transition between town square and the large building was adorned with some trimmed bushes. In Claire's eyes, they looked like beets growing the wrong way round. The stairs leading up to the Grand Court began beyond that. After the first ten steps, it split left and right on a gold-painted fountain, and then ended up in the middle again in front of a green gate. For fun, Armin bet that he would be up faster. The girl happily accepted the challenge. </p><p>She won. Despite her heavier luggage.</p><p>The Grand Court itself consisted of two ornate towers at the entrance, which were connected by a central nave with a slightly sloping roof. There was a rosette window above the gate, about half the height of the towers. Pictured there was the rising sun, which probably shone through the stained glass during the day because of the orientation of the house. A dome towered behind the central nave; it was a bit bigger than the towers at the entrance. At the top, a small, walk-in gallery was set up. Several outbuildings originated from the central dome. Overall, the Grand Court looked more like a church from the outside than a government building. But Claire was not granted a lot of time to enjoy the construction and the view that one had from there, especially to Yggdrasil in the north.</p><p>Armin had long entered the courtyard and announced their visit at the front desk, presenting the Count's letter to the friendly smiling woman in her mid-thirties. The lady named Nezetta, at least her name tag suggested it, nodded in understanding.</p><p>"The Outland Count’s office is right at the end of this hall," she indicated the direction. “There are two guards stationed in front of it. You can't miss it,” they thanked her politely and followed the instructions.</p><p> </p><p>The interior of the building was simpler but no less impressive. The girl was most fascinated by the chandeliers on the ceiling. The walls were painted white and green and lined with dark wood up to about five feet. Various portraits hung over it. Many looked similar, but others stood out with very different facial contours or body stasis.</p><p><em>Maybe the ancestors of the current count?</em> Claire guessed. <em>Or maybe significant people who worked in Tharsis?</em></p><p> </p><p>They passed the corridors to the outbuildings and came to a double door in front of which the soldiers were posted to protect the man behind them. They wore the same uniform with a helmet and coat of arms as their colleagues at the gates and in the streets, but they seemed somehow special because they also wore a small medal over their left breast. When the siblings approached, one of them knocked on the door and called in a surprisingly deep voice: "You have a visitor, sir!", Someone answered from inside, whereupon the guard opened his side of the door. They entered, hearts beating loudly in their chests.</p><p> </p><p>In the round room, which was designed in the style of the large hall, there was an ornate desk made of solid ebony. On it lay some books and documents, as well as a small lamp as a light source, which bathed the office in warm light, since night had finally fallen. Behind it sat an older man, perhaps in his late fifties, with slightly gray hair, sideburns, and a mustache. He was dressed in a green robe made of a silky fabric and decorated with golden ornaments.</p><p><em> He fits the curtains perfectly</em>, Claire thought to herself. She had to try hard to refrain from giggling, after all, she didn't want to be rude to her host. He got up to greet them. Meanwhile, the soldier closed the door with a rumble.</p><p> </p><p>"Good evening," he shook hands with them. "What can I do for you? Even if, based on your equipment, I already have an idea of what it is. "</p><p>The blonde returned the greeting and added: "You are quite right in your assumption sir ..."</p><p>"Just call me the Outland Count," he said. Armin handed him the letter. The count scanned it and their parents' additional one. "I see ... So you are Silvio's children and are here to take over for your old man. I hope you had no problems on your way to Tharsis. "</p><p>"Just a little incident with a few monsters, nothing earth-shattering," Armin assured.</p><p>Claire murmured, "Says the one whose lunch was stolen from a tree rat ..."</p><p>"Did you say something?"</p><p>"No!", She replied a little too quickly. The redhead raised an eyebrow doubtfully but left it at that. The count cleared his throat.</p><p>"In any case, a warm welcome to you, Armin and Claire" - he had taken their names from the letter - "in the city closest to Yggdrasil. I am its overseer. If there are important things to do, I transfer them to explorers as missions. But of all explorers who arrive in Tharsis, like yourselves, we want only the best on the hunt for Yggdrasil. So before you can start your search, you have to prove yourself worthy as explorers.”</p><p>The siblings blinked in confusion, then the blue-eyed girl began to grin. "Sounds fair." Her brother nodded in agreement.</p><p>"I am happy to hear that you are so sensible. But one last question first. You haven't registered as an official explorer in the Explorers Guild yet, have you? ”</p><p>"No, we only arrived in Tharsis an hour ago and then came here immediately."</p><p>"Then you should make up for it as soon as possible. Because without this registration, I cannot and should not assign you any missions. You can also open your very own guild in the Explorers Guild. That is what you want if I understand your father's letter correctly? ” Both nodded eagerly; their eyes seemed to shine. "Okay. So that clears that up. The best thing for you to do today is to take a room in one of our inns and relax from your trip; it was certainly exhausting. Tomorrow you register in the explorer guild and then come back to me. We will discuss the details of your mission in due time."</p><p> </p><p>After everything was said and done, brother and sister said goodbye to Outland Count. On the way out, Claire asked Nezetta the receptionist about a good inn that rented out rooms this late in the day. She recommended the Saehrimnir Inn to the children, in the west of Tharsis some ways off from the large market square. It was cheap and the rooms were good.</p><p> </p><p>Thanks to Nezetta's good directions, the inn was easy to find, despite the winding streets full of cul-de-sacs, even if they couldn't miss the opportunity to take a closer look at the marketplace and to invest a little time there. Many people were still on the move, most of whom just went for a walk to enjoy the good night air.</p><p> </p><p>The inn was quite easily overlooked, despite its several floors. Had she not had the exact description, the swordswoman would surely have passed it without even noticing. Like all the houses, it consisted of yellowish brown stones with a green roof. Nothing but a small sign above the door with the name of the inn and its heraldic animal, an opossum, revealed what was inside. And inside, the house was just as inconspicuous, in contrast to the splendor of the Mark Grand Court, which gave it a very homely flair. To the left of the front door was a small counter with a bell and a flower vase on it. On the wall next to it a few books were stacked on a shelf together with a pen and the figure of an opossum. Behind the counter, a passage led deeper into the house, probably to the owner's living quarters and the kitchen, because from there it smelled heavenly. Armin's stomach growled loudly. Losing his lunch had hurt him quite a bit. To the right were the stairs that connected the ground floor to the first floor. A bench with a green cover was placed under the steps to save space and as a seat for waiting guests. Otherwise, only a few potted plants adorned the small room.</p><p>The Medic rang the bell three times, a small tick of his. Within seconds a woman in a blue dress came out the back room. She carried a large steaming pot in her hands, which were protected by thick red checkered gloves. A yellow bow held her long brown hair together.</p><p>"Would you wait for a moment? I have to bring the food to the others for a moment. I'll be there for you in just a moment,” before anyone could have answered, she hurried away again with the pot. Stomachs growled again; Claire had also got hungry from the good smell of the pot contents. </p><p>The young woman was back a minute later. Only now did Claire notice that the woman also wore a silver chain and blue flower earrings. Previously, these accessories were covered by pot and steam. "Welcome ba-," she paused and looked closely at the two. "Good gracious! Forgive me for mistaking you! I think this is our first encounter with each other. Are you new adventurers? ”She asked excitedly with a big smile on her lips. Surprised by the woman's energy, they nodded absentmindedly. "That pleases me. Welcome to the Saehrimnir Inn! Even if it may not look like this, many of our explorers use this house as the basis between their excursions. If you are injured, we also have an infirmary in the back. I am Dalla, owner of this inn. What can I do for you?"</p><p>The blonde was the first to recover. "Um ... my name is Claire and this is my brother Armin. We ... we would like a room for the night.”</p><p>"It can be set up. Double or single room?“, The siblings looked at each other.</p><p>"A double room please."</p><p>"Okay. A double room for the night. With breakfast included, that makes 20 Ental for both of you. ”</p><p>"Only so little?" Armin was taken aback but handed over the money.</p><p>Dalla only said that this is the service of the house for newcomers. That meant prices would go up over time, but never in inhuman amounts.</p><p> </p><p>"All you have to do is register yourself in the guest book. Then everything is done, ”she took one of the books and the pen with ink from the shelf next to her. As she signed, Claire noticed how big the building was despite the nondescript facade.</p><p>"Well, that's my husband's specialty. Maximize the smallest spaces. The bathrooms are on the ground floor; you just have to go over there and you’ll see them. But enough of that now. Bring your things quickly to your room on the second floor. The room number is on the key. If you hurry, you'll still get something for dinner, ”she winked. This made the two prick up their ears and they sprinted upstairs, almost forgetting their room key. Unfortunately, Armin's clumsiness made itself apparent as he promptly fell up the stairs. Fortunately, he didn't hurt himself nor did anything break.</p><p> </p><p>The room was quite small. There was only space for two beds, a table with a few chairs, a cupboard and a drawer under the window. But everything seemed clean and it was more than sufficient for an overnight stay (many camping trips had already hardened them). They put down their stuff and their weapons. Then the siblings ran back down to where Dalla was already waiting for them. They ate dinner with other explorers, happily listening to the stories of more experienced adventurers.</p><p>At around half-past eleven, Claire was finally in her surprisingly cozy bed. She was about to fall asleep when the boy's voice stopped her.</p><p>"You still awake?" He asked gently.</p><p>"Yes," came the simple yet sleepy answer. "What is it?"</p><p>"I ... I can't sleep, I'm too excited about tomorrow. I mean, tomorrow we will finally be real explorers and go on our very first mission and... and-!", his sister interrupted him.</p><p>"I know Armin, I feel the same way. But if you don't start sleeping soon, you will <em> over</em>sleep our adventure tomorrow.”</p><p>"You're right... good night. And sleep well.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>One down,, many more to go...</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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